Congressman calling for inquiry into Ashcroft deal

AP Photo/Mike DererU.S. Attorney Chris Christie, second from left, is joined by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, second from right, and others at a news conference in Newark in September.

A New Jersey congressman today called for an inquiry into the Justice Department's use of appointed monitors in corporate fraud prosecutions, pointing to last week's disclosure that former Attorney General John Ashcroft's consulting firm will make as much as $2.9 million a month after being tapped to serve in such a role by U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) asked the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the Justice Department's increased practice of appointing corporate monitors to settle fraud investigations. He cited a Star-Ledger report that Ashcroft's Washington-based legal and consulting firm would be paid between $28 million and $52 million for 18 months of work as the monitor for Zimmer Holdings, an Indiana maker of knee and hip implants.

"Under the continued threat of prosecution, any party being investigated seemingly has little choice but to agree to the selection of these federal monitors and their exorbitant fees," Pascrell said in a letter to the committee chairmen. "Therein the selection of these federal monitors by the U.S. Attorney's Office could give the impression of impropriety and political favoritism. While I certainly applaud the prosecution of public corruption cases, the Justice Department has the responsibility to ensure that there is a certain level of transparency and openness in its proceedings."

Zimmer was among five manufacturers that reached agreements with Christie's office in September to end a two-year criminal probe into kickbacks to doctors who used or promoted their products. Each company agreed to hire a monitor, chosen by Christie, to oversee their practices and insure they were complying with the law.

Ashcroft had been Christie's boss for three years.

A spokesman for Christie had no immediate comment on Pascrell's letter.

Christie has previously said he did not negotiate the fees and that the company did not object to them.